Peru Escorted Escapes Tour 5

Arrival in Lima. Reception and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, full city tour of modern and colonial Lima, declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1991. Tour in an air conditioned bus with a bilingual guide. The tour includes a visit to the Cathedral, Main Square, San Francisco Convent and its Catacombs, and the residential areas of San Isidro and Miraflores. Lunch at the internationally acclaimed Rosa Nautica seafood restaurant, strategically located on a pier and extending into the Pacific Ocean. After lunch, a visit to the Gold Museum. Originally from a private collection, the museum houses numerous gold, silver and copper artefacts from several pre-Hispanic cultures. The most precious piece in the collection is the solid gold Tumi (ceremonial knife) belonging to the Lambayeque culture (350AD). Return to your hotel. Free evening.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast, flight to Cuzco, reception and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon guided visit of the four ruins nearby; the Sacsayhuaman Fortress overlooking the city of Cuzco, a pre Inca architectural masterpiece; Kenko, a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is the monolithic altar representing a puma, the red Fortress of Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay, a beautiful fountain fed by a spring forming a series of basins continue to the city of Cuzco; the Main Square, the Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun. Dinner and folkloric show in the evening.

Meals: B & D

Full-day excursion to Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit the village of Pisac, founded during Colonial times. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays the Indians barter their products, and artisans from all over the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions and jewellery. On Sundays, it is also the meeting place for the local Mayors of the region, who come dressed in their traditional costumes, to attend morning mass. After buffet lunch at the Alhambra Restaurant, a visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town which is still inhabited. Explore the ruins above Ollantaytambo before returning to Cuzco via the traditional market town of Chinchero.

Meals: B & L

An early start by Vistadome train to Aguas Calientes, accompanied on the train by an escort.. Guided visit of the most spectacular ancient city in the world. This fabulous city contains houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square; and all connected by narrow roads and steps that are surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side. After the tour, free time to enjoy this spiritual wonder. Opportunity for a guided trek (approx 1 hour) up to the sungate (Intipunku), which is a part of the Inca Trail, for a magical view of the sanctuary or alternatively an unguided climb to the top of Wayna Picchu, with a magnificent view of the whole Sanctuary (recommended for fit individuals only). Accommodation in Aguas Calientes.

Meals: B

Opportunity to return to the sanctuary for a more personal appreciation of the Eighth wonder of the world. Return in the afternoon by train to Cuzco and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight to Lima. Arrival and transfer to Paracas by private vehicle, some three south of Lima. Arrive to Paracas and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the port for a guided boat tour of the Ballestas Islands. Commonly referred to as the "little Galapagos", here you will see an amazing concentration of sea birds, penguins and sea lions in their natural habitat. Return to the mainland. Transfer to Ica to visit the excellent museum which showcases the cultures of Paracas, Nazca, Chincha and Wari. A stop for lunch at the Las Dunas restaurant before visiting the vineyards of Vista Alegre to sample some wines and perhaps some Pisco. Continue the trip onto Nazca and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B & L

Before breakfast, a tour flight over the enigmatic Nazca Lines; gigantic drawings and geometrical figures engraved in the driest desert of Peru and dating back to 250 AD. Drawn throughout over 1000 Km2 of desert on the Pampas of San Jose in Ica, and due to their enormous size and largely unknown origin, leaves an indelible impression on all who visit this most mysterious archaeological site. With representations of animals, such as a spider, a monkey and several birds, they are believed to be an enormous astronomical calendar or possibly an offering to the gods. First discovered in 1550 it was not until the advent of flight, in the 1920's that the lines were first realised for their significance. The drawings are not in actual desert sand but on small rock debris, varying in length from 150m to 300m and with a depth of 20cm. Return to your hotel for breakfast before visiting the Ocongalla aqueducts and the archaeological sites of Cahuachi and Estaqueria. Cahuachi, one of the largest ceremonial centres of the Nazca civilization is located on the rim of the Nazca River. The Cahuachi ceremonial centre was a sacred destination of Nazca pilgrims between 100 and 500 AD. The site includes the main cultural-urban centre, pyramidal temples, terracing of fossil sand dunes, streets and squares. Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Orefici has been excavating the site for the past few decades. The Estaqueria archaeological site with its wooden pillars carved of huarango wood and placed on mud-brick platforms were once thought to have been an astronomical observatory. More recent theories, however, lean toward their use in mummification rituals, perhaps to dry bodies of deceased tribal members. Return to Ica for a late lunch (not included) at Mossone Hotel which is located at the Huacachina lagoon, which is located just 5 miles west of the city of Ica. A natural oasis in the middle of the white sand of the desert, the abundant vegetation consisting of palms, eucalyptus and typical guarangos serve as a rest area for migratory birds passing through the region. After visiting the lagoon, return journey to Lima and to the airport for your flight home.

Mossone Hotel   |  Meals: B